The creeping pall of disease and decay is rife in the 41st Millennium, as rotting battlefields spawn deadly contagions and horrific living conditions only hasten the passing of poxes and plagues. The Chaos God Nurgle revels in the spread of his malign blessings, and wherever clouds of his daemonic infections go, the lumbering armoured forms of his chosen champions are never far behind.
They are the Death Guard, heralds of the Plague God’s arrival and executors of his great ambition. Their corrupted bodies swell with inhuman durability as boils and barbs explode from their corpulent forms, matching the supreme discipline of the Space Marine legions with Nurgle’s mastery over decay and death, and marching to war as the harbingers of the galaxy’s ultimate end. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re thinking of starting an army of these mutated plaguebringers.
Death Guard Explained
The Death Guard began their service as a loyal Space Marine legion fighting at the forefront of the Great Crusade – some ten thousand years before the current Era Indomitus. The great betrayal that followed played out much the same as it did for other Chaos Space Marines, but their methods of warfare couldn’t be more different, for the Death Guard have always prized the slow, creeping inevitability of death to screaming assaults into the barrels of enemy guns.
The myriad infections and mutations that wrack the Death Guard bless them with ungodly resilience to incoming fire, and as devoted servants of Nurgle they are insulated from the worst side-effects. Instead of searing pain they feel rapturous joy, only furthering their willingness to trudge across some of the deadliest battlefields imaginable and emerge unscathed on the other side.
Their weapons make use of their virulent arsenal of maladies, and their march is preceded by a barrage of biting flies and choking winds. So powerful is their connection to Nurgle that they can stride right through such hazards, and Death Guard characters can project their chosen poxes while walking from kill to kill, infecting everyone foolish enough to come close.
Their Daemon Primarch is significantly more reserved and taciturn than his brothers, having long since lost his god’s favour. Mortarion’s return to the galaxy was a nonetheless violent affair, as he drove a massive fleet into the heart of Ultramar – home to the Ultramarines – and corrupted great swathes of formerly radiant worlds. His ambitions even spurred him into single combat with a recently risen Roboute Guilliman, and his presence on the battlefield galvanises his Death Guard to fight ever harder lest they falter under the wrathful eye of their gene-father.
The mortal champions of Grandfather Nurgle are often joined by daemonic hordes of shambling Plaguebearers, Plague Drones, and Beasts of Nurgle. Such is his love for his empyrean children that they are seen as wonderful gifts for his most deserving followers, and the Death Guard, for their part, are far too pragmatic to turn down assistance from such powerful entities.
On the battlefield, Death Guard armies are versatile on the attack – with many options for ranged and close combat – but they truly come into their own when grinding out an immovable defence that soaks up staggering amounts of punishment. Most of their units must sacrifice speed for durability, however, demanding a well thought-out plan to make sure valuable units aren’t left exposed or dragged on a wild goose chase by enemies they will never catch.
The Death Guard have an impressive motor pool that includes multiple unique vehicles, including the iconic Plagueburst Crawler with its distinctive mortar that lobs devastating shells into enemy formations. These heavily armoured war machines fit in perfectly with the legion’s carefully considered battle plans, covering the infantry’s advance under a constant artillery barrage.
If you love soaking up incredible amounts of damage and watching your opponent’s best warriors wither and decay around you, the Death Guard have everything you’re looking for. Plus, you get to be part of the elite club that can deploy their Primarch onto the battlefield – a phenomenal power play that only a handful of factions can boast!
Combat Patrol
Combat Patrol is a game mode perfect for beginners and veterans alike, in which smaller forces clash in fast-paced, balanced games. The Death Guard focus on their legendary resilience with an elite force packed with tough customers, including a full-size Rhino for your troops to ride around in.
The wonderfully named Maggot Lords are the Death Guard modus operandi through and through, supporting a deadly Lord of Virulence with three hulking Blightlord Terminators to smash aside any who stand in the way of their inexorable advance. On the other side of the battlefield, seven Plague Marines and a Tallyman occupy themselves with objectives and a spot of ranged firepower when opportunity strikes.
Though the Rhino only has modest firepower, it’s large and durable enough to pose a real problem for unprepared opponents. Its armoured bulk is perfect for blocking enemy troops hoping to take advantage of a vulnerable side of the battlefield – especially after its slow-moving cargo of Plague Marines have been disgorged into the fray.
All you need to deploy the Maggot Lords is a few dice, a ruler, and the downloadable rules below – the Core Rules show you how to play the game, the Combat Patrol Datasheets provide a balanced army that’s ready to play, and the Combat Patrol Missions give you some thrilling objectives to fight over!
Painting
While the Death Guard are typically found in a range of greens, they’re perfectly suited to a wide range of colours – though with a particular preference towards sickly, pale, or drab. As carriers of horrific plagues and diseases they’re crying out for some serious weathering and grime, so no matter what colours you pick make sure to dirty them up as much as possible!
To help ease your miniatures onto the battlefield with a simple, achievable colour scheme that works across a wide variety of units, the Warhammer 40,000 Painting Team have put together a list of paints for the Death Guard found in the Combat Patrol box.
This is by no means an exhaustive primer, and you’re fully encouraged to come up with your own Death Guard colour schemes. If greens aren’t your thing, try painting your Plague Marines in pristine white armour – before challenging yourself to muck it up until it’s unrecognisable!
Next Steps
Once you have a few Combat Patrol games under your belt and you’re ready to spread your contagions to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you might be wondering where to go next.
Your first stop is Codex: Death Guard – the essential companion to the faction, containing plenty of background lore and a showcase of gorgeously painted miniatures, as well as rules for 36 different units and plenty of different ways to play them. Together with a copy of the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book, you’ll have all the rules you need to start playing full-size games of Warhammer 40,000.
The Combat Patrol provides you with dependable workhorse infantry, capable leaders, and some sorely needed transportation, and there are lots of routes to take with this versatile force. Mobility is not your strong suit, so Foetid Bloat-drones are valuable skirmishers which can zoom all over the battlefield and strike from unexpected quarters. They’re as tough as tanks and can tussle with the best, whether outfitted for anti-armour or infantry-killing.
Hordes of Poxwalkers are an excellent addition that soak up enemy firepower while your more valuable units move into position, and a squadron of Plagueburst Crawlers can engage enemies at extreme range.
Mortarion is nothing short of a one-man army – eclipsing almost any single miniature in Warhammer 40,000 outside of his own daemonic brothers – and an extremely fun addition to your army that is both a powerful unit and a fantastic hobby project to sink your teeth into. Would you really want to see a Death Guard army deploy without him?
Nurgle’s own legions are often led by the corpulent monstrosities known as Great Unclean Ones, who decay all around them by presence alone – they are great picks for a hybrid Death Guard and daemon army. Should your Terminators need a leader with his own legendary repute, Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle, is your man – blessed with the favour of the Plague God, he’s a lethal close combat fighter who uses the buzzing swarms of the Destroyer Hive inside him to distract and debilitate his foes.
Fiction
The powerful and feared legion of the Death Guard often appear as the villains in Black Library novels, with particular prominence in the Dark Imperium series – in which they lay waste to Ultramar following the opening of the Great Rift across the galaxy. They are not without their own books, however, and the perfect place to begin is the excellent Lords of Silence by Chris Wraight.
This sweeping tale follows a number of Death Guard legionaries as they navigate the galaxy after it has been rocked by the Great Rift, when Chaos forces surge throughout the Imperium and attack vulnerable worlds without warning. It’s an incredible insight into the minds of warp-addled Plague Marines, and a unique perspective on the conflicts currently rocking the 41st Millennium.
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